johnson



2 SheetsSheet 1.

(No Model.) V F. A. JOHNSON.

SKIRT.

No. 548,613. Patented Oct. 22, 1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()EETQE.

FRANK A. JOHNSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOCHRISTIAN HAAS, OF SAME PLACE.

SKIRT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 548,613, dated October22, 1895.

Application filed July 20,1895. $em'al No. 556,583. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, FRANK A. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Suits or Adjustable Drop-Skirts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in skirts or suits worn byladies, and while it may be employed in their dress for variousoccasions and purposes, yet it is more especially adapted for use inathletic costumes, such as are worn when riding bicycles, and generallythat class of such costumes known as knickerbocker-suits; and itconsists in certain peculiarities of the construction, novelarrangement, and operation of the various parts thereof, as will behereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

The object of my invention is to provide a skirt to be worn overknickerbockers, trousers, or bloomers, and which maybe readily drawn upinto graceful flounces or gathers near the waste of the wearer and atthe rear thereof and also partly drawn up in front to about the knees ora little above them, so that the skirt will offer no hinderance orobstruction to the motion of the legs when operating the pedals of thewheel or bicycle.

To this end my invention consists in the specific construction ofdevices whereby said results may be accomplished with the greatest easeand speed, and the skirt when drawn up will assume the position shown inFigure 1 of the drawings.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which myinventionpertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it,referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l is aperspectiveview of alady mounted on a bicycle, showing the position of the skirtwhen drawn up for use while riding.

Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of the figure of a lady, showing herdismounted and the position the drop-skirt will occupy when drawn up.Fig. 3 is a similar view of a like figure, showing the drop-skirtlowered and in position to be worn as a walking or ordinary dress. Fig.4 is a view in elevation of the rear inside portion of the drop-skirt.Fig. 5 isasectional view of a portion of the skirt, showing the methodof securing the guide-rings thereto.

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the diiferent views ofthe drawings.

A represents an over or drop skirt, which may be made of any suitablesize, form, and material, but preferably of cloth and of the form orpattern to reach from the waist of the wearer to near the ground. Thisskirt is secured around the waist in any desired or suitable manner andis preferably covered at the waistband with a belt B.

Near the waistband the skirt A is provided on each side just above thehips of the wearer with an opening or, around which is secured aprotecting or eyelet guard-piece a, of leather or other suitablematerial. Through each of these openings is passed a cord 0, which isbifurcated or formed into two strands c and and c, which strands areloosely passed through a series of rings E and E, secured to the innersurface of the skirt at proper points, and are permanently attached attheir lower ends to the garment, as at c.

It will be seen in Fig. 4 that the rings E for the rear strands c aresomewhat higher than the lowermost rings E for the side strands 0. Hencewhen the cordsO are drawn through the openings a in the upper portion ofthe skirt that portion of the garment to which the lower ends of thecords are secured will be raised to the lower series of rings, whichwill cause the cloth to be formed into substantially a horizontal orcircumferential fold or gather f. Then by drawing the cords stillfarther other folds or gathers f will be formed just below thewaist-line and all the folds f and f will be given a slight upward curveat the rear of the body by reason of the location of the said rings, asabove described, and will hang in such a manner as to conceal the rumpor buttocks, that portion f of the skirt below the line upon which theends of the cords are secured depending somewhat below the sad dle, asshown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. When the garment is drawn up, as abovedescribed, the front part of the skirt will also be raised by reason ofthe shortening of said cords to about or a little above the knees of thewearer, as is shown at g in Figs. 1 and 2,

thus leaving the legs free and unimpeded and showing the knickerbockersH. Vhen the.

cords are drawn up so as to raise the skirt at the rear, as abovestated, the cords 0 may be passed around to the front of the body orwaist of the wearer and there secured by be ing tied together in asuitable knot.

By reference to Fig. 4 of the drawings it will be seen that the seriesof rings E through which the strands 0 pass are in a line longitudinallyon the garment, and that the rings E are likewise located for thereception and operation of the strands dot the cord; but as the strandsc extend more nearly vertically than the strands c a less number ofrings is usually required therefor. Besides, using fewer rings orguiding devices for the strands c, or inner cords, than for the strandsc, or outer cords, forms the skirt when drawn upward into moresymmetrical folds or gathers than would otherwise be accomplished,besides adding attraction to said folds by reason of the upward curvewhich is produced.

The rings E and E are usually made of metal; but other material may beused. They may be secured to the skirt in any suitable manner; but Igenerally secure them by means of a thread or cord D, which is passedthrough the cloth or skirt A and looped, as at d, to engage the rings.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination with the skirt A, having in its upper part near thewaist-band the protected openings 0,; of a series of rings E, and E,arranged and secured to the inner surface of the skirt in substantiallyvertical rows, said rows being located near the sides and at the rearpart of the skirt, the rings E, constituting the inner rows being fewerin number and located somewhat higher on the skirt, than thecorresponding rings E, of the outer rows, and adapted to producebow-shaped or upward curved folds or flounces when the skirt is drawnup, and the cords O, passing inward through said openings and having thestrands c, and c, passing through the rows of rings E, and E,respectively, and fixed to the lower portion of the skirt, substantiallyas described.

FRANK A. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

CHAS. O. TILLMAN, E. A. DUGGAN.

